The wedding on April 29, 2011, of Prince William of Wales to his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton , prompted lavish preparations in the United Kingdom . Though many of the finer details surrounding the wedding were closely guarded by the British royal family, especially so that the couple could maintain some privacy and preserve a few elements of surprise, public curiosity prompted the royal family, in the weeks leading up to the event, to release a number of facts about the eagerly anticipated nuptials, which the media dubbed the “wedding of the century.” In this special feature, Britannica profiles the couple ... (100 of 5,553 words)